TARA Surveys

TARA surveys aim to learn about your experiences coping with Borderline Personality Disorder. It is only with data quantifying your experiences that we can motivate new research and advocate effectively to demand action to improve diagnosis, availability of evidence-based BPD treatment and increased research funding. TARA developed these surveys in response to observations garnered over 20 years from our helpline and family classes indicating that appropriate diagnosis and treatment is a major stumbling block towards getting help with BPD, shame is a major problem and immune disorders seem to be highly prevalent.

Is There a Relationship Between BPD, Autism, & Asperger's Syndrome?

Dear Friends,

For the past 20 years, TARA’s national helpline has been collecting data on family experiences with BPD. We realized that many Helpline callers who have BPD or have a family member with BPD may also have a relative with autism or Asperger's disorder. They are often unaware that the behaviors they are describing may fit the Autism or Asperger’s Spectrum. One of our callers is the mother of twins; one with BPD and one with Asperger’s Syndrome. We have received calls from people who meet criteria for both BPD and Asperger's disorder.

Several characteristics of people with BPD seem to correlate with the characteristics of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder such as difficulty recognizing faces, naming emotions (alexithymia), super sensitivity to sensory stimuli such as light, sound, textures, smells, touch, and difficulty mentalizing others.

TARA interacts with leading BPD researchers. We serve as a conduit to raise awareness of childhood experiences, issues, and specific behaviors of people with BPD and their families (e.g. BPD and Pain, C. Schmahl) such as the intense shame experienced by people with BPD.

In order to call attention to the relationship of BPD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, we need data to support our observations. We are asking you to please participate in our survey so TARA can collect data that support the study of the possible relationship between autism spectrum disorders and BPD. We hope this will motivate research leading to earlier, more accurate diagnosis and new directions in treatment.

Evaluating Your Experience with Shame

Shameis an emotion that is generally misunderstood. TARA is attempting to shine light on what the experience of shame feels like so as to motivate new research and foster compassion for those who experience shame as a core component of their sense of self. Unfortunately, SHAME seems to be a painful emotion often experienced by people with BPD. Shame: A negative and painful feeling in which the entire self is viewed as bad and/or worthless. Shame is a negative, painful, social emotion that can be seen as resulting from one's actions or feelings being compared to one's self-expectations or standards.

"I am bad, a bad person."

" I am ashamed of who I am"

"I feel like I am wasted space"

If you have BPD, please help us by completing this survey evaluating your personal experience with Shame, Guilt, Embarrassment and Humiliation.

Evaluating Your Experience in Finding Help for BPDMisdiagnosis & Mistreatment of BPD

This TARA survey aims to learn about your experiences when searching for an accurate diagnosis of BPD and appropriate BPD treatment. It is only with data quanitfying your experiences that we can advocate effectively to demand action to improve diagnosis,availability of evidence-based BPD treatment and increased research funding. TARA developed this survey in response to observations garnered from our helpline and family classes indicating that appropriate diagnosis and treatment is a major stumbling block towards getting help with BPD.

We at TARA appreciate your helping us to help you by taking the time to answer the questions in this survey. This is an anonymous survey that you can do from your own computer. It will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete, depending on the number of experiences you have had with the system.

If you have had the experience of being misdiagnosed or receiving ineffective treatment for BPD, please help TARA to advocate for improvements in diagnosis and availability of BPD treatment. All of us at TARA thank you for your participation.